“Master, you said that when I come up against human unconsciousness to just observe it with compassion – that this is the only way to live in peace. But what if this unconsciousness is aggressively threatening me.?”

“Can you give me an example, Bizah?” asked his Master.

“Well, what if someone is calling me mean and false names?”

“Do not take his name-calling personally,” said the Master. “It has nothing to do with you. He is just projecting his own unhappiness, his sense of low self-worth, onto you. Let his name-calling just pass through you. Don’t react to it. As I said, simply observe and extend your compassion to him.”

“Okay, Master. But what if he picks up a stick and is about to hit me with it?” 

“Ah, that’s a different matter. You need to personally protect yourself against this level of unconsciousness. You should grab the stick out of his hand, and with all the loving kindness in your heart – are you listening to this, Bizah? I said, ‘With all the loving kindness in your heart,’ give him one hard wake-up whack with it – enough to make him back away. Then throw the stick away.”

“Have you ever had to do this, Master?” queried Bizah.

“Unfortunately, yes, Bizah.”